Sunday, January 15, 2012

Oilfield Gusher in Buttonhole Stitch

This week's embroidery stitch for TAST is the buttonhole stitch, sometimes called the blanket stitch. Traditionally this stitch was used to bind off raw edges on a blanket or set very close together to bind off the raw edges on a buttonhole.

As you can see in the photo, the event I chose for my design was the date that the oil boom started when the Lucas Gusher came in at the Spindletop oilfield near Beaumont, TX. This image is from the original photo I found online. I used to live in and still live near Humble, TX, another oil boom town. Humble Oil Company sold 50% of its stock to Standard Oil in 1919. Over the years other mergers and changes occurred and it all became Exxon. There are still pumping oil wells in Humble.

Now that the history lesson is over ... I used a buttonhole stitch with a varied length for the horizon line back-stitching for the derrick in 6 strand floss and both buttonhole and back-stitching for the oil spurting up. For the oil and the words I used 1 strand of black and one strand of brown Balger blending filament as it has a sheen and a copper color running through it. You probably can't see it in the photos as it is very subtle.

You might see some reddish lines, they were from the dressmaker's transfer paper I tried using to mark the design. It does not work on Aida cloth as its too bumpy. I ended up using the old-fashioned method of rubbing the back of the design with pencil and tracing it, using clear packing tape over the paper so it would not shred as I had to press down fairly hard. The red will wash out.

Check out what the other stitchers in our Tuesday Stitchers group have done. Thought everyone's projects are amazing and creative, I have to admit that Jen Claire's prayer flag idea has me wanting to make some too. No, no, I cannot fit any more projects into my life right now!

Very interesting history tidbit! (I was born in Tulsa, another oil town.) Great use of blending filament~that definitely makes floss more intriquing. Are you a cat person, too? (Looking at your brilliant cat reading a book!)

About Me

Using my creativity every day is what keeps me sane. Beading, embroidery, jewelry making, knitting, genealogy and gardening.
Join me as I think outside that proverbial box and use recycled items to make many of my craft items.